Best finish of the CX season! Like last year my my strongest race was during the final Cap City Cross race. My 4th place finish in the Cat.3 Master's 40+ was good enough to move me from 6th to 3rd in points for the series.
It was a beautiful sunny skied Sunday at Smith Farm. A chilly 38 degrees, but the sun made it feel much warmer than it really was as the sun slowly melted the frost away. I watch people during the first two races that had started the race way over dressed unzipping clothing trying to get themselves cooled down as they raced around during the Cat. 3 and 4 races. This actually got me to thin out my base layer and gloves before the start of my race. After a good warm up, I changed my options one more time. At the end of my race my only issue was my toes were very cold......
Medium size field today with all the normal faces around me on the starting line. Alan and Dave gave the normal officials starting line instructions....you know, no punching below the belt, no gauging......and before I know we start! I'm quickly clipped into my Crankbrother Eggbeaters and stand to accelerate my ALAN Team Xtreme as hard as I can trying to stay near a possible to the front of the pack as we race up the slight rise that was the start/finishing line straight. Across a short paved section, down a dip back into the grass. The course for the most part was more flowing, power type with only a few technical sections and a death spiral!
The first three laps I was able to keep Farmer and his group in sight and J.D. behind me as I battled with Scott with his new chain issues. On lap four going over the barriers Scott was able to gap me and started to pull away. I had been at my limit a bit too long and back off to not lose ground to J.D. who I knew would be gunning for me if I totally blew up. Then the fun began......Glen "the Troll" Gardner. Glen had chain issue and I was able to make up time and pass him. Glen got his chain back on and was chasing me through the parking lot section. He was quickly on my wheel as we twisted around the muddy tree section. Down the slop, around the long right hander and back up and softening grassy slope. A quick right-left, then up a dirt rise, dive down the steep right hander and a quick left up the large barn kicker. Down the back side and Glen and I are still battling wheel to wheel. Around the low barn into the death spiral as Glen and I are being heckled and cheered on by our teammates and friends! As we twist out of the death spiral Glenn starts coming around my outside as I hear Blair yelling at me to put Glen into the tape! I allow my front wheel to corner wider and wider....not quite putting Glenn into the tape, but trying not to laugh to loud to the process. Left, right and left back onto the home stretch. Glen pulls even and I kick again; we get the two-to-go sign from Dave and Alan. My bike feels heavier than it has felt all day......Glenn has grabbed my seat as I try to get away from him. Glen yells at me, Truce, truce.....you know I'm a lap down?"
At this point, as the course twist back in on itself, I can see the battling with Glenn put a bigger gap on J.D., but we only gained slightly on Scott. Glen and I fly down the hill back into the mud, shoot the narrow gap, right turn back onto the double track as Glen pulls through so I can get on his wheel. I accelerate past Glen to get a run through the mud and up the rise back to more double track keeping the lead. We round the right hander back past the pits, quick right-left and Glenn is faster on the barriers and moves back in front. We race back down towards the parking lot, Glen drops his chain! He's off this bike and Bjarne Riis's his bike over the tape marking the course!
I'm now on my own, I fly around right hander and climb back up the rise to the hairpin where I first caught Glen having problems with his chain. Down through the dip, trees, barn section, death spiral, ONE TO GO! The last lap is spent trying to put time into Scott, but he's through the finishing line for third and I finish a short time behind him for FOURTH on the day.
For the second year in a row I saved my best finish of the season for the final race. For the 2011 Cap City Cross Season, Men's Cat.3 Masters 40+ Echelon Trek teammate ride away with Blair 1st over all and myself 3rd over all. Many thanks to Blair for letting me moonlight on the Echelon Trek Cycling Team for our local cross season and to was fun running the neutral support for the second year in a row for Trek Stores Columbus. Can't believe the season is at an end. Now only U.S. Nats. and Worlds.
P.S. according to USA Cycling I am ranked in the state of Ohio for Master's 45-49 11th over all with Glen Gardner 10th and Mark Farmer 4th.
